The season’s first road trip is upon us, and although it might seem weird, it’s exciting. We have had five technical “away” games, but all five have been commuter trips, where we drive back to St. Lucie after the game. Today, we head to Fort Myers for our first hotel stay and essential road trip.
Now, compared to last year’s drastically long trips in the South Atlantic League, this year will be a piece of cake. When they told me this is one of the long rides (only 3 hours) I basically jumped for joy. I mean, who wouldn’t enjoy a casual three hour coast compared to an all-day 15 hour trek to West Virginia or New Jersey from South Georgia???
Road trips also mean a few other ingredients that only Minor League baseball players would understand. First of all, the actual seat assignments on the bus. It is always such a hassle trying to get a spot on the bus. Obviously, nobody wants to share a seat, but as I crunch the seat numbers with roster spots it’s clear most people have to partner up. That leads to arguing and “seat-saving” similar to a childish third-grade lunch room setting, but I guess it’s part of the culture.
Next, hotel roommates. This is another tricky situation because while you want a friend, it’s also important to choose someone compatible to your personal sleeping arrangements. Rule of Thumb? I don’t care how good a friend he is, if he snores……NOPE! I had a good friend for a road roommate last year, but his snoring would wake up the people next door! This year, I’m a little bit more savvy, and chose much more wisely.
Lastly, there’s the always endearing adventures of being in a new place and trying to get out and see what there is to see and do what there is to do in these new spots. I have a fondness of playing in new stadiums, and I enjoy the different quirks that each town has to offer. So, I try to get out and get up at a reasonable time and do something to get my day started.